Improvement in pencil-sheaths



, men. 110mm 1111111111. 1111 a fiur'us 3.1111111. 117851 111111-11 AUG 81871 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIC'E.

oHAnLns E. ABBOTT, or MALDEN, AND RUFUS S. MERRILL, or HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PENCIL-SHEATHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,851, dated August 8, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. ABBOTT, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex, and RUFUS S. MERRILL, of Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in holders and point-guards for securing pencils in memoran dum and other books, of which the following is a specification:

It is our object to dispense with the leather or cloth sleeves which are usually placed upon the inside of the flap of diaries, memorandum, or other books to receive pencils. These sleeves neither hold the pencil with sufficient tightness to prevent it from accidentally dropping out, nor do they sufliciently protect the point of the pencil, which is apt to project from the book, to catch in the pocket or clothing and either to tear the cloth or to be broken off.

In lieu of these pencil-holding devices we employ a metallic cylinder provided with springfingers to hold the pencil inserted in the same, and a barrel with a set-off or a drawndown closed end, which receives and holds the pointed end of the pencil and acts as a point-guard, both the s ning-holder and the point-guard being made of metal and provided with lugs by which they may be fastened to the flap of the book with which they are to be used. The result is, a pencil-holder and point-guard for memorandum and other books that is better and, in the end, cheaper, because more durable, than any other devices hitherto employed for a like purpose, and that will hold the pencil with greater tightness, and will afford an absolute protection and shield to the pencil-point.

The manner in which our invention is or may be carried into effect will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a view of a diary or memorandum-book provided with a pencil-holder and point-guard made in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same book with its flap closed in order to show the lugs which fasten in place the pencil-holding and protecting devlces.

A is the pencil-holding cylinder, and B the point-receiver and guard. The former is made of sheet metal, which is drawn into a cylindrical shape and then slit or cut longitudinally at one or both ends, so as to form a series of elastic spring-fingers, c, which serve to grasp tightly the pencil G placed between them. The cylinder is provided with lugs b, preferably formed by cutting them out from the body of the cylinder, by means of which it is fastened to the flap D of the book, as clearly shown in the drawing. The point-guard, formed also of sheet metal, is made with an enlarged cylindrical front end to receive the larger portion of the pencil end, and is then drawn down somewhat smaller for the rest of its length, so as to form a shoulder, 0, against which the wood of the pencil-sheath will bear in order to prevent the lead or pencil-point from being jammed against the closed end of the guard. In this end there may be formed, if desired, a small hole, (I, to receive the point of the pencil and effectually prevent it from rubbing against the end of the metal guard. The point-guard, like the holder, is provided with lugs I), formed in a like manner, by which it is secured to the flap of the book. The position occupied by the holder and guard upon the flap is plainly represented in the drawing and needs no description.

Having now described our invention and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pencilholder and point-guard, composed of a metallic barrel with a drawn-down and closed end to receive and protect the point of the pencil, and a metallic cylinder formed with spring-fingers to hold the pencil, both the cylinder and barrel being formed with lugs, whereby they may be secured to the flap of a diary, memorandum, or other book.

2. The combination, with the flap of a diary, memorandum, or other book, of a pencil-holder and pointguard, constructed and secured to said flap, as herein shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed ournames to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. ABBOTT. RUFUS S. MERRILL. Witnesses:

GEo. MORRILL, CHAS. K. BRADFORD. 

